Back Inside the TV
by Minhie
Summary: It's 2014, and the Investigation Team is moving on to University! At first, all seems well and Yu is expecting carefree, fun-filled days with his friends. However, when a mysterious case arises and students are found paralyzed in their sleep, the Investigation Team must re-summon their Personas to save the world once more. YosukeChie, YuRiseYukiko, and Kannao.
1. Chapter 1: Return

**Monday, March 24th, 2014**

**Morning**

"The 8:50am train, destined for Inaba, is now boarding. Please make your way to Gate 21. I repeat..."

Yu Narukami quickly got up from his seat, a smile plastered on his face.

It had been three years since the great Inaba murder mystery. Now 19 years old, Yu found himself heading back to the rural town. He was planning on staying there for good, and attending University in the nearby Onayama City.

Yu did enjoy his last year of high school back in Tokyo. He graduated with his friends there, and enjoyed the time he had with his parents. However, he just felt that he truly belonged with the people of whom he had met in Inaba. Visiting them on occasion just wasn't enough.

"That's your train, yes?" Yu's father, Kouhei, asked. The silver-haired boy nodded.

"Oh, it's much too early," Makoto, Yu's mom, frowned. "Must you really go?"

"Don't worry, mom," Yu assured, holding his mother in a warm embrace. "I've already told you. I can take care of myself, and I'll make sure to visit often." As Kouhei joined in on the hug, the family shared a brief but precious moment.

"We trust that you'll stay true to your words," Kouhei told his son as they separated.

"I will," Yu promised. After giving each of his parents another tight hug, the boy departed.

As he maneuvered through the busy crowds of the station, the silver-haired adolescent remembered his conversation with his parents a few weeks before.

* * *

_"At the age of 19, I'm sure that I can handle things on my own. My friends, Uncle Dojima, and Nanako will be nearby, too," Yu reasoned. "It won't be like I'll never come to visit, neither."_

_"Tokyo University and Onayama are practically equal," Makoto insisted. "What's the benefit of movi-" Makoto was interrupted by her husband's hand's presence on her shoulder. He shook his head at her and then stared at his son with a look of understanding._

_"Yu, we, as your loving parents, always want to choose what's best for you," his dad began. "If... If your heart is really leading you back there, as cliché as that sounds, we will support it. Right, Makoto?"_

_Yu's mother looked at her family in silence. Yu noticed how she averted her eyes and mindlessly observed the furniture around them. Finally, she spoke._

_"...I admit, I can't keep you from pursuing your true desires, Yu. And you're right. We work abroad often, and you're perfectly fine. Although, you must visit us every chance that you have, alright?" Makoto sternly looked at her son dead in the eye. As she continued, her face softened. "We'll stop by sometimes as well."_

_"Thank you," Yu beamed with absolute sincerity. He was close to tears. "Thank you, thank you!"_

* * *

The silver-haired boy couldn't help but smile. He really loved his parents, and they loved him. It was sad for him to leave, but he knew that they would always be there to welcome him. That was the kind of bond they shared.

_"That's the kind of bond that I share with everyone in Inaba, too,"_ Yu thought.

After a few minutes of walking, he had finally arrived at Gate 21. He handed the conductor his ticket, and then boarded the train. A while after, the wheels on the vehicle began to move.

_"See you,"_ Yu mentally bid farewell to Tokyo as it disappeared behind him.

* * *

**Afternoon**

"Yasoinaba. The train has arrived at Yasoinaba."

Awoken by the conductor's call, Yu peered out the window. He saw the tall trees and Junes posters of which greeted any visitor to Inaba.

Upon realizing that he had arrived, the boy excitedly got up from his seat and took down his luggage from the cabinet above. He ran out of the train, thanking the conductor on the way. He couldn't wait to see the surprised faces of his friends and relatives!

However, when Yu stepped foot on the platform, the boy was greeted with a surprise of his own.

Confetti flew in his face, and he was surrounded by a multitude of cheers and laughter. Dojima, Nanako, Yosuke... Everyone was there, happily welcoming him back to the town!

"H-How did you...?"

"Your mom called. And you know how word spreads fast around here!" His uncle, Ryotaro Dojima, laughed. He looked the same as ever, with his stubble, dark brown hair, and red necktie. He extended his hand to take Yu's luggage. The silver-haired boy happily handed it to him and promptly thanked his uncle.

"You're back, Big Bro!" Nanako Dojima ran up to hug Yu, her eyes tearing up. Yu noticed that she had gotten much taller over the years, and that her dark brown hair was down, adorned with a cute pink ribbon at the side. "I've missed you..."

"Yeah, me too," Yu told Nanako gently, hugging her back. He looked up again to have _even more_ confetti blown at him.

"Welcome back to Inaba, partner," grinned Yosuke, Yu's best friend. His sandy brown hair was now shorter, and his red headphones were nowhere to be seen.

"It's nice to see you again!" Chie cheered. Her butterscotch brown hair was cut into a fluffy short bob, and an appliqué khaki green coat replaced her signature track jacket.

"You haven't changed at all, Sensei!" Teddie exclaimed. He had gotten much taller, and was almost up to par with Yosuke's height. Other than that, the blonde-haired boy looked the same as before.

"Neither have you," retorted Yu jokingly.

"Well, not like that's a bad thing," giggled Rise, whose wavy auburn hair blew freely in the wind. She hugged her beloved Senpai's arm affectionately. Yu smiled. Everyone was treating him as if he had never really left. It was true; the bonds that he had made here really were irreplaceable.

"Oh yes, we're going to the Amagi Inn to celebrate," Yukiko declared. Yu noticed that she had braided her long black hair into a neat bun, and that, surprisingly, she was not wearing anything red.

"It's already rather late in the afternoon, so we should also get going," added Naoto. She was dressed in a mature, feminine matter, and her short indigo hair had gotten longer. It was obvious that she had stopped dressing as a boy. The group left the station and separated. Nanako and Ryotaro went to his car, and the rest of them boarded the bus.

"Sorry, we've got some things to do at home. Enjoy the party without us!" Ryotaro yelled from his car window. "Oh, and don't get too drunk!"

The tone in his uncle's last remark made Yu notice that he secretly implied to _"get drunk so I can laugh about it later but don't get so wasted that you pass out"_. He chuckled, and then he realized something else.

"Where's Kanji?"

* * *

**Evening**

"It's not funny, dammit!" an angered Kanji Tatsumi yelled. He watched as his Senpai laughed so hysterically that he began to cry. Kanji was the one that had changed the most out of his friends. He had switched his peircings for glasses, and his skull shirts for polo shirts. The tall boy also changed his slicked back, bleached hair to short, styled black hair.

"Y-You said that being mistaken for an oldie was insulting, but," Yu fell to the ground, gasping for air. "Now you look like my dad! What the hell are you trying to do?" In his horrible fit of laughter, Yu began cracking appalling jokes like, _"Kanji, more like Veteranji"_ and _"have you already began paying your own **tat**xes"_.

"Dude, you've turned him into a mix of me and Teddie," Yosuke told Kanji as he watched his best friend.

"Sensei's true colours are showing..." Teddie remarked.

"He's not even drunk yet," sighed Chie.

* * *

**_After Yu's recovery..._**

"To Yu!" The group clinked glasses to celebrate their friend's return. As they began to indulge in the aromatic drinks, everyone began to catch up with the city boy.

"Speaking of school, for our senior year's cultural festival, our class did a play," Yukiko informed. "It was Rapunzel, and guess who got to play as her? Chie did, and pfft... It was hilarious!" The girl began laughing as hard as Yu did before.

"H-Hey, my acting wasn't that bad!" insisted Chie. "I mean, Kou had to save me a lot, but we still got tons of applause." Yu smiled. Knowing Kou's crush on Chie, it must have been a thrill to see her with long hair and be her prince.

"So, Senpai, how was the city?" inquired Kanji.

"It was good, but I think I would have enjoyed these past three years with you guys more," Yu admitted.

"Aw, well, you're here with us now, Senpai!" Rise smiled and clinged to the silver-haired boy's arm. "Hmm, although, maybe I should stop calling you that, huh? We're not in high school anymore, so..."

"I don't mind it," the silver-haired boy laughed.

"Speaking of education, we're of age to go to University," Naoto remarked. "Which careers do you all wish to pursue?"

Suddenly, the conversation became even more fast-paced and the atmosphere more excited.

"Oh oh, I want to be a police officer! Beating up criminals in the name of justice, how awesome is that?" Chie grinned and pumped her fists up in the air.

"It's pretty obvious that I'll continue being an idol," beamed Rise.

"I'm going to take over my family's textile business and become a professional knitter," Kanji proudly stated.

"I'm sure you can do it," smiled Naoto. This caused Kanji to blush profusely, and the rest of the group to snicker. Kanji's behavior in front of Naoto was the same as ever. However, their laughter went unnoticed by girl. "As for me, I'll be joining Chie in law enforcement as a detective. O-Of course, I've already been doing it, but I figured that a degree would be nice."

"Ah, I'm sure you all know what I want to do. Inheriting the Amagi Inn is the job I'm destined for, says my family... Not that I mind! I'll be sure to make the inn live on," declared Yukiko, smiling. Yu was glad to see that she no longer wished to run away.

"Speaking of inheriting family businesses, I'm aiming to become Junes' new CEO," Yosuke declared.

"I thought you claimed that your father was naught but a hired manager?" Naoto looked a tad bit confused. "That doesn't count as inheriting a family business, does it?"

"That's not the reaction I wanted..." sighed Yosuke. "Well, he's a part of the business, so sort of, I guess," he continued. "It took some thought, but I can't think of anything else I'd like to do. Junes has... kind of grown on me." He smiled warmly, remembering how Junes played a key role in their investigation. It was their_ "special headquarters"_, after all.

"Will I still be the beloved Junes mascot when you become CEO?" asked Teddie as he looked at Yosuke with hopeful eyes.

"You don't even have to ask!" Yosuke reassured. "I'll make you the official mascot of every branch. Sounds cool, right?" He grinned.

"Yo-Yo-Yosuke...!" Upon hearing such words, the blonde-haired boy appeared to grow a sparkling aura of admiration around him.

"How about you, Senpai?" Rise asked, curious.

"I want to become a doctor," Yu replied. "After that murder case, I've realized how precious life is... It made me want to be able to save them."

"Heh, that seems like something you would say," Chie smiled at the boy.

"Man, your futures sound so beary awesome," Teddie babbled excitedly. "As for me, I want to pick up tons of girls and live happily ever after with all of you!"

Everyone couldn't help but smile at how much Teddie wanted to stay with them. They all shared the same wish, in fact.

"It's a promise, then," Yu chuckled as he stuck out his pinkie finger and shook it with Teddie's.

"Yep, we'll _always_ be friends, no matter what," chirped Rise. The rest of the group merrily agreed, and they all partook another toast to certify their promise.

"Ah, by the way, where exactly are we all going?" Yukiko asked the most obvious, but overlooked question there was to their discussion.

"Onayama University," the others immediately replied. There room went silent for a moment, then they all burst into laughter. It was hilarious how perfectly they read each other's minds!

"Pfft, haha, me too, yeah, no problems there! Haha, but anyway, that was _priceless_! Oh, snrk, hahaha!" Yukiko broke into a loud laughing fit, and the rest of the party was spent in great joy.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S COMMENTS**

That's the chapter! Now it's time for me to upload the rest. (I've already written four chapters, haha.) This is my first fanfic, so I'm not sure how to format it to be pleasing on the eyes... I hope I did well.

(EDIT: Changed quite a few things!)

- Minhie


	2. Chapter 2: Departure

**Thursday, March 27th, 2014**

**Morning**

"Jeez, Nanako and I went to clean the place up just for you, and then you return saying that you'll be staying at a dorm in Onayama," sighed Ryotaro. "Your mom didn't mention anything like that at all!"

"Are you sure you didn't zone out after she said that I was coming?" Yu smiled knowingly as he closed his suitcase that contained all of his clothing inside. Beside the suitcase were two boxes filled with his other belongings. His uncle looked away, his lips curved up in a guilty smile. The silver-haired boy was right; the older man _did_ stop paying attention to his sister after simply hearing that Yu was returning.

"T-That's not important," Ryotaro stuttered, quickly brushing the subject away. "Today's your day of departure, and—"

"I made a cake for you, Big Bro!" Nanako dashed inside Yu's room, interrupting her dad. The excited girl pointed downstairs, gesturing for them to go to the kitchen. Yu got up from his bed and smiled, walking downstairs with his uncle and cousin. The white cake was resting on the table in the living room. The icing was a bit messy, but the _'We'll miss you! Visit often, okay?'_ written in cursive on the pastry was flawless.

_"Nanako sure does have a knack for calligraphy,"_ Yu thought. He sat down at the dining table, and Ryotaro and Nanako quickly joined in. The family took a few pictures before happily digging in.

"Wow," Ryotaro began, his mouth filled with cake. "Nanako, you did a great job!"

"Daddy, don't speak with your mouth full!" Nanako scolded her father, handing him a napkin. Ryotaro promptly took it and wiped his mouth.

"Oh, sorry," the middle-aged man laughed. "It's just that..." He looked at his daughter with pride. "You're growing up." Nanako looked perplexed by her dad's words.

"Take that as a compliment," Yu whispered. The little girl thought about it again for a bit, then smiled.

"Thanks, daddy," she beamed. "I'll make sure to work even harder!"

After eating the cake, the family relaxed on their couch. Suddenly, Yu felt his phone vibrate. He discreetly opened it to find a text from Yosuke.

_yo partner! B at the station 10pm. dont be l8t or ull get ur ass whooped by Chie :P_  
_DONT TELL HER I SAID THAT THO!_

Yu replied with a quick _"K, yeah i won't"_ and put his phone back in his pocket.

"So, when are you leaving, Big Bro?" Nanako inquired.

"10 at night. We still have the entire day to play with each other, don't you worry," assured Yu. His little cousin replied with a joyful smile.

"Say, why don't we go out and have a picnic?" Ryotaro suggested. In seconds, Nanako and Yu were in the kitchen. The detective chuckled. "Guess you two already know what to do."

Yu boiled, steamed, cut and fried all the food, while Nanako handed him the ingredients and marvelled at the silver-haired boy's skills. By 1pm, the family finished making their giant boxed lunch.

"There's omelette rice, rice balls, steamed veggies, tempura, octopus sausages, chicken nuggets, hard-boiled egg, seaweed, and lots of love in it!" Nanako giggled.

"Looks delicious," Ryotaro beamed. "Well then, let's get going!"

* * *

**Afternoon**

After a short drive, the family arrived at the Samegawa flood plain. Yu and Ryotaro set up the picnic in a nice clearing by the river, where they happily ate.

Yu had also brought his fishing gear, leading to a friendly competition between him and his uncle. Awed by how cool her dad and cousin was at fishing, Nanako wanted to try it out herself. She ended up catching the famous Inaba trout, and Ryotaro took a picture of a victorious Nanako holding the fish before she released it.

"Bye bye, fishy," she waved. Behind her, Ryotaro checked his watch.

"It's getting late. We should head home," advised Ryotaro. Yu and Nanako nodded, and began to pack up. The family then returned to the car.

"I know it's late, but I want to see Big Bro off," Nanako stated as she buckled her seatbelt. "That's okay, right, Papa?"

"Yep, but make sure you sleep well tomorrow, all right?" Ryotaro consented. Nanako smiled in reply.

* * *

**Evening**

The family returned home and quickly put Yu's belongings in the trunk. With 20 minutes to spare, they departed for the station.

Yosuke and Chie were already waiting on the platform when Yu had arrived. His uncle and Nanako helped him carry his belongings to the platform, then Ryotaro and Nanako soon joined in on the conversation between Chie and Yosuke's parents.

"You ready?" Yosuke asked Yu, smiling broadly. He also carried a couple of boxes with him, along with his suitcase.

"Of course," chuckled the silver-haired boy.

"The city's gonna be stressful," Chie laughed nervously. "I mean, I've spent my whole life here in Inaba. And you know how quiet it is here."

"Don't worry, we'll help you out," Yu promised, pointing at him and Yosuke. "We're both from the city, after all." Chie stared at the boy for a moment, her cheeks turning the faintest pink, then smiled. Yosuke stared at her.

_"There Chie goes again,"_ he thought, shifting his gaze towards the train tracks. "_With that sudden delicate atmosphere. It's kinda..." _The incoming vehicle, that could be seen coming towards the group, interrupted Yosuke's thoughts.

"Oh, train's here," the boy announced. He watched as the few other passengers boarded it.

"We should wait for the others before getting on," Yu advised. As if on cue, the rest of the group ran on to the platform.

"Looks, like, we made it, just in time," Yukiko panted as she, Rise, Kanji, Naoto and Teddie stopped in front of the trio. They were all sweaty and out of breath, a panicked look plastered on each of their faces.

"Took you long enough," laughed Chie.

"E... Enough talking. Get on the train!" urged an exhausted Kanji.

Everyone, with their luggage in hand, scurried on to the vehicle. After securing their things, they opened one of the large windows and waved goodbye to their beloved families.

"Come visit soon! Love you, miss you! Don't do anything reckless!" These things could be heard from their parents as the vehicle disappeared into the distance.

* * *

**_On the train..._**

Their cart had a cozy atmosphere, and it apprared nice. There were three seats per row, each one capable of seating two people. A folding table separated every pair of seats. The large windows enabled a constant view of the scenery, as well.

Chie and Rise sat across from Yu and Yosuke. In the section next to them, Kanji rested next to Teddie, and opposite from them was Yukiko and Naoto.

Their train ride was a long one. It wasn't a direct trip, and Onayama was the last stop.

"Don't talk to me," Rise sternly instructed. She took a pair of sunglasses out of her purse and put them on. The auburn-haired girl even went so far as to pull out earplugs, a neck pillow and a blanket! "I can barely move from the run here, and it's late, too. I'm going to sleep on this ride, and that's it. Good night!"

With that, the idol had isolated herself from the world, and promptly fell asleep.

"Rise sure is cranky when she's tired, huh," Chie remarked. She stared at the girl beside her. "And she's asleep already! Man, how long a run was it?"

"From the shopping district to the station," Kanji muttered. "Plus the luggage..." He sunk down in his seat.

"We made Kanji-kun carry most of our things," Yukiko stated, a dark tone in her voice.

"Hell yeah you did!" Kanji yelled. "What do you girls even carry in your suitcases, anyway? _Rocks?_"

"I'm don't know about Yukiko-senpai and Rise-san, but I just put what was necessary in there," Naoto told him.

"O-Oh, well, um..." Kanji stuttered. It was obvious that he didn't want to anger Naoto. "It' over now, so... 'Guess it's alright."

* * *

**Late Night**

The former Investigation Team quietly conversed among themselves, and began to slowly fall asleep. About an hour into the ride, everyone had dozed off. Some of them sprawled on top of the tables, others sitting up. Eventually, Yu and Teddie were the only ones awake.

"Hey, Sensei, I've been wondering," Teddie began, "what am I going to do in Onayama?"

"What do you mean?" Yu looked at Teddie, confused.

"Well, you guys will be going to school, and Junes isn't there, and neither is Yosuke's house or Nana-chan," Teddie answered. "What am I supposed to do, if everything that I usually do in Inaba is gone?"

"Just find different things to do," Yu told him. "You're staying with us at the dorms. When you're bored, you can explore the city."

"Oh, that's right! I _do_ get to stay with you guys... Does that mean I can sneak into Chie-chan's room and sleep with her?" Teddie's eyes brightened up, as he thought of all the new fun he could have with everyone all living together.

"If you have a death wish, then maybe," the silver-haired boy replied. He didn't look like he was joking.

"...Eh. Then I'll just go out and score with some girls! Nothing beats a funky date in the city," the bear sang. He went on and on about all the things he could do with the rest of the group.

Yu just laughed and smiled at as Teddie recited his never-ending list. As the blonde boy went on and on, Yu found himself falling asleep...

* * *

An eerie, faint light shone in Yu's face. In the distance, he heard a familiar song playing.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room."

The limousine fully illuminated, revealing Igor and Margaret. As always, they sat in their respective places, a large table in front of the long-nosed elder. Igor looked up, his eyes piercing into Yu's very soul.

"This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter," he began. "It seems that your fate has brought you here again. Do you remember these?" With a swift wave of his arm, Igor revealed a deck of cards spread out on the table. He then flipped over two cards, revealing the Chariot and the Moon, both in the upright position.  
"Hmm, _very _interesting indeed. You had received the Moon in the upright position in your previous reading as well. As for your future..." With another quick gesture, Igor made the cards vanish into thin air. "It seems that you will face yet another grand mystery, of which you will need determination and willpower to solve."

"As our guest here in the Velvet Room, it is our duty to cater to your needs," Margaret declared. "However, you must be bound by a contract." Igor snapped his fingers, and a small sheet of paper, along with a pen, appeared in front of Yu.

"This contract ensures that you will take full responsibility for your actions," the elegant woman explained. She chuckled. "Of course, I'm sure you already know that."

Without must hesitation, Yu took the pen and signed the document. The contract dissolved, and in its place was the Velvet Room key.

"Next time you come here, it will be because of your fate, and not on your own will," Igor stated. "Until then, farewell."

* * *

**AUTHOR'S COMMENTS**

I did plenty of tweaking on this chapter. Whew! Chapter 3 and 4 will be uploaded tomorrow.

- Minhie


	3. Chapter 3: Commencement

**Friday, March 28th, 2014**

**Morning**

_Screeeech._

Yu Narukami was awoken by the piercing noise of the train's brakes. Upon opening his eyes to the broad, beautiful view of a sunny Onayama city, the adolescent realized that the group had arrived at their destination.

"We're here," he announced.

Yu's best friend, the clumsy Yosuke Hanamura, was awoken by Yu's call. The sandy brown-haired boy slowly took off his headphones, and then observed them.

"I'm sorry I don't wear you guys around anymore," Yosuke yawned. "It's just that, it's nice to change a little, right? I'll keep you babies in my bag from now on..." His hand dropped, and the boy fell back asleep.

Yu pretended that he never saw any of that.

"We're here!" The young man repeated, even louder than before. Across from him, both Rise and Chie got up. Rise removed her sunglasses only to be blinded by the sunlight shining through the window.

"Gah!" She shrieked, covering her face.

"Calm down, it's just light," Chie drowsily laughed. The tomboy got up and began to take her things from the cabinet above.

"Light that caught me by surprise," Rise declared, putting her sunglasses back on and following Chie. The pair unloaded their things so noisily that they awoke everyone else.

"Are we here already?" Yukiko asked groggily.

"Already? We've been on this train for hours!" Yosuke yelled.

"Surprisingly, it would have been much more efficient drop us off first. This train went as far as Osaka before it came here," Naoto stated as she looked at her copy of the route map provided by the train.

"Well," Yu began as he stretched out his arms. "I had a nice sleep, so I don't mind."

"Me neither," Kanji admitted. "Man, I haven't had that good a sleep for weeks!"

"Maybe we should just leave you on the train, if it's that nice," Rise teased. "Oh, but Senpai stays with us."

"Oh, I have an idea! How about the last one off the train has to carry all our stuff?" Teddie suggested.

"Sounds fun," Yukiko laughed. She sprung up from her seat, unloaded her bags, and ran out. The rest of the gang followed suite.

That is, with the exception of Yosuke.

* * *

"I can't believe you guys," Yosuke whined. He held two suitcases in each hand and one large backpack. "Am I a freaking octopus to you? I can't carry anything else!"

"I think that much is enough," Yu told him. The rest of their friends had their arms full with the boxes that they brought.

"Also, you look more like a camel than an octopus," Yukiko merrily added.

"Camelsuke," joked Teddie.

"You guys suck," Yosuke sighed.

"Yosuke's pain aside, will you look around? This place is crazy!" Kanji admired his surroundings, seeming a little overwhelmed by the atmosphere of the big city. "There's buildings stretching up to the stars, with bright colors and people surrounding you wherever you go."

"Jeez, don't make us look like a bunch of country bumpkins," sighed Rise. "This is normal. Besides, haven't you been to Okina before?"

"It's nothing compared to this place," Kanji insisted. "Anyway, how the hell are we gonna get to the University?"

As if their minds were read, a plain-looking man approached the group.

"Excuse me, are you all in a need of a cab or two?" the man asked.

"Wow, talk about perfect timing," Chie remarked.

"Yes sir, we are. lease call up two cabs for my friends and I. Our destination is Onayama University. It's just outside of the downtown area," Naoto answered. The man nodded and beckoned his friends over, whom then set off to start their cars.

A few seconds later, the bland man approached the group again.

"Right this way," he told them, gesturing towards a large van. The group proceeded to load their belongings into the trunk of the vehicle, then board it themselves. Within a matter of minutes, the former Investigation Team were off to Onayama University.

* * *

**Noon**

"We're nearing your destination," announced the cab driver as he began to circle Onayama University. Upon hearing this, an excited Yu glanced outside the large windows of the vehicle.

A large garden, filled with vast meadows of multi-colored flowers, trees in all shapes and sizes, and evenly cut grass surrounded the immense buildings. These multiple buildings gathered around in the shape of a trapezoid. Each structure was made out a multitude of materials, mainly sandy brown bricks and shining clear glass. They were also all supported by large, towering columns.

In the center of all these buildings was a courtyard, decorated with luscious greenery and containing multiple areas to sit and relax. The flooring of this courtyard was made of cobblestone, and each stone was perfectly aligned. Multiple archways welcomed the students into the campus, and a tall clock tower stood between all of the structures. The text _"KANAKAWA CAMPUS"_ was engraved above the archways.

To the right of this massive area lied another group of gigantic buildings. A rectangular sign that read _"SAITOU CAMPUS"_ stood in front of the structure. Each building was painted head to toe in a dazzling white. To distinguish each of them, every structure had was accented with a different color. Yu noticed that the buildings formed an _"S"_ shape, and chuckled.

_"S for Saitou. Smart,"_ he thought before continuing to observe the University.

A colorful garden also surrounded this campus, and multiple monuments decorated the space outside the main buildings. They came in a variety of shades, shapes, and sizes.

To the left of Kanakawa Campus was another immense group of buildings. All of these structures were mainly made out of glass, and each panel was separated with a shining, grey lining. The areas that were not made of glass, like the first quarter and corners of each building, were made of bricks, similar to the ones on Kanakawa Campus.

This area was also surrounded by lush greenery, like the rest of the campuses. The buildings formed in a circle, which reminded Yu of Rome's Colosseum. A large, round structure protruded from the back of the group of buildings. Like the rest of the edifices on this campus, it was primarily composed of glass. A rectangular, translucent sign was placed in front of these many buildings. It read _"NAKAMURA CAMPUS"_ in bold, black letters.

Behind these three campuses lied the University dorms. It consisted of a large apartment that formed into a rectangular shape. This grand building was entirely black. The apartment also looked very modern, with its flat roof, thin borders, and multiple windows. Yu also observed how all parts of the apartments were rectangular, and how minimalistic the building's surroundings were, for it contained no other color but green.

The silver-haired boy couldn't help but be impressed by all of these magnificent structures.

_"I can't wait to start living here,"_ he thought. _"Especially with all of my great friends."_

The cab came to a stop, and everyone exited from the vehicle. As the driver aided Yu and the others with unloading their luggage, Yukiko asked, "Oh, who's going to pay the fare?"

The atmosphere suddenly became very tense, and each member of the former Investigation Team slowly began to turn towards Yosuke.

"Wh-Wha... Me?" The adolescent cried in disbelief. "Oh c'mon, I already had to lug most of your guys' stuff to the car!"

"You've always paid for things. Like my steak, and Teddie's clothes..." Chie began reciting the many things Yosuke has bought for others over the past few years.

"That's not the point. I only have a part-time job! What about Rise?" The panicked boy pointed towards the auburn-haired idol. "She's famous, dammit!"

"Yeah, but Chie-senpai is right, you've always been the one with the money, Yosuke-senpai," Rise smiled.

"Don't you mean _Camel_suke?" laughed Yukiko.

"Shut up about that name. Erase it from existence," Yosuke frowned. "... If you do, I'll pay for it."

"Deal," Yu consented.

"Oh, and you won't have to carry out stuff again if you pay," Rise added.

Yosuke nodded, and took out his wallet. While he examined its contents, he let out a heavy sigh. The boy then walked up to the driver and handed him the fare. After taking the money, the driver wished them luck and drove away.

"Goodbye, hard-earned cash," whispered Yosuke into the distance.

* * *

"Well then, let's get going," Naoto pulled out a small book from her blazer pocket. "According to this guidebook, we are supposed to follow this specific path to find the dorms."

"As expected of Nao-chan," praised Teddie. "You're always so prepared!"

Naoto flashed the blonde boy a small smile before she began walking, her belongings filling her arms. The rest of the group followed her from behind.

En route, they all separately admired the scenery around them.

"Hey, Yu, what do you think about all this?" Yukiko ran up to the silver-haired boy, smiling gently.

"It's almost as beautiful as Teddie's fur," he joked.

"Pfft, is it really that amazing? Teddie's fur, I mean," Yukiko chuckled.

As they continued to walk on, Yu lightly bumped into someone's shoulder.

"Oh, sorry," he apologized.

"No worries," a familiar voice replied. Surprised, the silver-haired boy quickly turned his head backwards to see none other than Kou Ichijo. As always, his best friend, Daisuke Nagase, was next to him.

Kou's hair was a bit shorter, but his signature cowlick remained. He had also grown in height. Daisuke was taller as well, and the bandage on his nose was nowhere to be seen.

The others noticed how Yu and Yukiko had both stopped, and how the pair had put down their belongings. They stopped walking as well, and made their way towards the two, putting their things down next to Yu's and Yukiko's.

"What're you two doing?" Teddie asked from a distance. However, Yu and Yukiko didn't hear him, for they were both too busy conversing with their old classmates.

Chie, who got to the pair first, moved next to Yukiko and then glanced at the two people whom her friends were looking at.

"Hey, it's Kou and Daisuke!" The surprised tomboy yelled. All eight of Yu's friends then quickened up their pace. In a matter of seconds, the two athletes were surrounded.

"What a coincidence," continued Chie happily.

"O-Oh yeah, ahaha," Kou stuttered. He avoided eye contact with the brunette, gazing at the flowers beside them. It was evident that he still had a crush on Chie.

"So, what brings you two here?" Yosuke asked.

"Kou's pursuing a career in acting, and I'm thinking of becoming an engineer," Daisuke replied.

"Acting, huh? Guess you really did like playing in Romeo, Juliet, and Hamlet," chuckled Yu.

"Rapunzel, too," Yukiko laughed. "Although, I'm surprised that Daisuke-kun wants to be an engineer. What gave you the idea?"

"It just seemed like something that I could challenge myself in," Daisuke answered, smiling proudly.

"Is that much of a reason...?" Rise whispered to Naoto, who replied by shrugging her shoulders.

"Oh yeah, you staying in the apartment complexes, too? We're sharing our place with some teammates from the sports teams here," Kou declared. "Room 296."

"Yeah, drop by anytime you want," nodded Daisuke. "Anyway, we should get going. See ya!"

The two athletes waved goodbye as they departed down the walkway, opposite from the dorms. After they disappeared from the group's sight, Yu and his friends continued on to their destination.

* * *

**Afternoon**

As soon as they stepped foot into the dorm area, a young woman approached them. She held a clipboard in her hands, and fiddled with it as she examined Yu and his friends.

"Name and identification?" She asked.

"Yu Narukami," the silver-haired boy informed the woman as he handed her his Driver's License. The woman quickly glanced at it and nodded. As the rest of the group presented themselves to her, she scribbled something on her clipboard.

"Okay, you're all good to go," she announced. The woman then took out a pair of keys from her purse. "Room 300. Due to special request, you've been put in the biggest complex in the dorms. Your little _friend_ here is also a special privilege. If you make too much noise, however, I will split you up and kick him out immediately. Understand?"

"Yes, ma'am," all eight of the adolescents confirmed in unison. The woman nodded again and walked off.

"So, who's going to be responsible of the keys?" Yosuke asked as he eyed the shiny metal objects that shined in Yu's hands.

"I think it should be Naoto," Kanji claimed.

"Oh, of course you'd want it to be Naoto, lover boy," Rise teased.

"Huh? N-No, I just think that she's the most responsible one, is all!" Kanji stuttered, his face turning red.

"Well, in my opinion, I think Sensei should get the keys!" Teddie cheered. "He's our leader, after all."

"I agree," Naoto added. "Sorry to get your hopes down, Kanji-kun. Although, thanks for thinking so highly of me."

She coughed into her hand, attempting to hide the faint blush forming on her cheeks. It felt nice to be needed.

"Oh, uh, no problem," Kanji nervously replied. The atmosphere became awkward.

"A-Ah yes! The keys," Naoto stuttered, snapping back into the real world. She handed them to Yu, who took them with a smile.

He observed the key in his hand, and suddenly remembered last night's visit to the Velvet Room.

_"Another mystery, huh,"_ he thought. _"Well, nothing's happened yet. I guess I'll just have to wait and see."_

The boy proceeded to open the door to their room.

_Clack._

"Okay, no time to waste! Everyone, get in there!" Chie excitedly cried.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S COMMENTS**

As you can see, Yosuke's role as "comic relief" shined through in this chapter. Chapter 4 and 5 are going to really get the plot moving, so be prepared!

- Minhie


	4. Chapter 4: Setup

Upon entering the room, Yu and his friends were amazed. Their apartment was beautiful!

The hardwood floors shone, and each of the walls were painted a bright white.

To their left was the living room, complete with a large, sandy brown couch, glass-top table, flatscreen television, and a few shelves. Behind the couch were the windows, of which were very large and clear. Simple, brown curtains adorned the panels of glass, and a modern, rectangular carpet laid under all the furniture.

Across from the living room, to the former Investigation Team's right, was the kitchen. It was nice and open, with plenty of counter space. A stainless steel fridge was placed in the corner, surrounded by shelves and cupboards. The shiny marble counter formed an "L" shape, and included a few stools to sit in.

In the center of the room was a narrow hall, which was where all of the adolescents' rooms were. Due to the large windows, the room looked very bright and welcoming.

"First one to reach a room gets it!" Rise abruptly announced. Coming to their senses, everyone dropped their things and scrambled down the hallway in an attempt to get the room they wanted. Yu managed to get the one right at the end of the hall, the most valued room of them all. Almost everyone had their hand on a doorknob. Three unfortunate people didn't.

Those poor souls were Teddie, Kanji, and Yosuke.

"You have _got_ to me kidding me," Yosuke sighed. "Why us? Why is it always us?"

"Jeez, what are we gonna do, sleep on the floor?" Kanji cried.

"I wouldn't mind... Yow!" Teddie declared, earning a smack in the head from Yosuke.

"If that's what you want, go sleep on the couch. We'll... Share Yu's room," Yosuke decided.

"Wait a minute," Yu objected. "The both of you? Do we even have space?"

The silver-haired boy opened his room door, only to find that it wasn't a bedroom.

It was a bathroom.

A nice one, of course, with shining tiles and plenty of counter space. In fact, the bathroom had a modern glass shower, vanity, and a regular toilet, as well. However, that left Yu stranded with the other guys.

"...I think that the only option is to partner up," Naoto stated after a significant silence surrounded the apartment. "There are four rooms, and eight of us, so it is evident that each one of us will have a roommate."

There was another long silence.

"How about we all have to share with someone of the opposite gender?" Yu suggested out of the blue. The group looked at the boy like he had lost his mind.

"... Dude, are you going insane?" Kanji asked, but he was drowned out by Yosuke's excited screaming.

"I'm in!" The boy yelled.

"Oh, me too! Don't forget about me!" Teddie cried.

As she watched the boys argue and heard Yukiko's laughter, Chie sighed.

"You're kidding, right, Naru— mmf!" The tomboy was silenced by Rise's hand.

"Senpai, these kinds of chances only come once in a lifetime," the idol whispered, "you have to accept it, no matter what!"

"Rise is right, Chie," Yukiko agreed, looking at her best friend with a serious expression on her face. "You must seize these opportunities whenever you can!"

"As much as I treasure you all," Naoto sighed, "I have to admit that you can all be such imbeci—"

"We all agree!" Rise loudly announced, tuning out Naoto's remark.

"Okay then, since I brought up the idea..." Yu pulled something out of his suitcase. Upon further inspection, one could see that it was a group of chopsticks, with one marked red at the end. The adolescent then walked to the kitchen and found a plastic cup. He placed the chopsticks in it.

"Oh, are we playing the King's Game?" Yukiko excitedly asked. Yu nodded.

"Whoever's the King gets to pair up two people as roommates," the silver-haired boy explained. "Also, remember, the King's orders are..."

"Absolute," Rise finished. Yu nodded approvingly in response.

The group then began to surround the sticks, most of them hesitantly. Yu shuffled them around. With all of their eyes closed, each person pulled out a chopstick from the cup.

"Who's the King? Who's the King?" Teddie sang. From behind him, Rise squealed happily.

"I am," she smiled mischievously, then turned around to look at her friends. "Now now, who shall I pair off? Oh, I know!"

The auburn-haired girl pulled Yosuke's arm, then Chie's arm, and hooked them together. She bowed, and formally told them, "I now pronounce you roommate and roommate."

Both Chie and Yosuke looked shocked.

"Rise, are you sure about this?" Yosuke flashed a nervous glance at the idol.

"Yep. I, as the King, or should I say _Queen_, am always right!" Rise cheered.

Chie looked up at her distressed friend.

"Don't try anything funny," she told him with a malicious tone in her voice. Yosuke blushed profusely.

"Wh-What the hell are you thinking? I'm not that much of a perv," Yosuke stuttered.

"Tell that to the times you called me at 3am to tell dirty jokes!" Chie retorted.

"Hey, I've stopped doing that ages ago," the sandy brown-haired boy insisted.

"Two weeks ago isn't a long time at all, stupid!" Chie yelled. The pair's bickering seemed to go on for hours.

* * *

**A few minutes later...**

"Okay, now that you two have settled down, let's continue on with the game," Yukiko caroled. "Who's the King now?"

Once again, Yu shuffled the sticks around in the cup and everyone blindly picked one.

"I'm the King," Naoto announced, hesitantly holding up her chopstick. "And uh... A-As the King, I order that someone else choose a pair this round!"

Smiling, the rest of the girls exchanged glances and approached the detective.

"Kanji and Naoto!" They cried in unison.

"What?" Both Naoto and Kanji screamed as they were pushed against each other. Their cheeks were both a bright red. Hesitantly, Kanji looked at his new roommate and nodded.

"W-Well, there's no way out of it..." The boy mumbled.

"Then, I-I'll be in your care," Naoto nodded.

"Oh man, this is the situation you've been waiting for all your life, huh, Kanji?" Yosuke winked.

"You shut up!" The embarrassed adolescent yelled.

* * *

"It's now time for the final round," Yu announced, changing the focus of the conversation. He mixed the sticks around in the plastic cup again. Afterwards, he held it out and waited for everyone to take a pick.

"All ready?" He asked. Sticks in hand, the former Investigation Team members all nodded.

"Okay then, who's the King?" The silver-haired boy inquired.

A proud Yosuke waved his winning stick in the air. "I am!" He announced. "Oh boy, who should I pair up? Hmmm..."

The boy then proceeded to observe the remaining people. There was Yu, Rise, Yukiko, and Teddie left ungrouped. The sandy brown-haired boy frowned.

"Dammit, this is a tough decision..." He sighed. An idea suddenly sprung into his head. "Ah, I know. Yukiko, Rise, play _Rock, Paper, Scissors_. Winner gets to partner up with Yu!"

"Why am I the losing prize?" Teddie cried. "Yo-Yosuke, you're so mean..."

"Well, it's kinda true that'd people would rather be paired with Senpai than with you," Kanji told the bear bluntly. His words felt like arrows digging through Teddie's heart. In response, the blonde-haired boy began to sulk in a corner.

"Hey!" Rise cried, ignoring Teddie. "That's not fair!"

"Well, it does add a bit of tension to the end result," smiled Yukiko. She held out her hand towards Rise. "Are you ready?"

"... Guess I've got no choice," the idol sighed, before smiling back at Yukiko.

They both closed their eyes, then chanted, "Rock, Paper, Scissors!"

The two girls slowly opened their eyes to see that Rise's hand was a rock, and Yukiko's was a paper.

"I won!" The black-haired girl squealed.

"Congratulations, roommate," chuckled Yu. Yukiko looked at his happy face and replied with a smile of her own. On the other hand, Rise pouted.

"This sucks," she thoughtlessly remarked, before looking at Yu and Yukiko's happy faces again. "...Well, Senpai did win fair and square, so I guess I'll have to live with it."

The celebrity then glanced over at Teddie. "If you try anything on me while I'm asleep, you're outta here. Got it?"

"Y-Yes, ma'am! I'll be beary sure to remember that!" Teddie saluted, intimidated by the idol's threat.

"Well, now that that matter has been settled, let's unpack," Naoto suggested. The rest of the group nodded, then parted into their separate rooms.

Yu swung open the door to his room. He walked in and observed his surroundings, with Yukiko trailing behind him.

"Which side of the room do you want?" The boy looked at his roommate.

"The left side," Yukiko replied, looking very serious. "Whenever I sleep over at Chie's or whenever Chie sleeps over at the Inn, I _always_ get the left side. That is how it is and always will be."

Yu chuckled at Yukiko's childishness.

"H-Hey, don't laugh," the girl stuttered. "It's a serious matter!"

"Of course," Yu smiled and then proceeded to put his stuff on the right bed. "Left side's all yours."

The black-haired adolescent smiled and began to unpack her belongings as well. A few minutes passed in silence as the pair individually organized their things. Suddenly, they heard muffled yelling coming from the room next door.

Out of curiosity, the two of them peeked their heads outside. The yelling became much clearer, and it could only be identified as none other than Chie's and Yosuke's voices. Yukiko and Yu proceeded to observe them through the large glass window on the room door.

"Wow, two fights in one day," Yu remarked. "They really are like an old married couple."

"They're so alike that both of them had not even figured out that they could put blinds over this," laughed Yukiko. She watched as the two of them bickered.

* * *

"You've got way more space than I do!" Yosuke yelled, pointing at the divider that Chie had placed on the floor.

"Looks pretty equal to me," Chie replied. "Maybe you're just crazy!"

"No, _maybe_ you're just a space hog. Why do we even need this, anyway? Can't we just share the room like normal roommates?" Yosuke kicked the two sports bags aside.

"I don't believe that you'd not try anything on me at night," defended Chie.

"Oh, c'mon, you're still okay after that tent incident, and don't get me started on that one sleepover we had," Yosuke retorted. "Chie, I've been your friend for five years already! You trust me with everything else, so why not this?"

There was a long silence, before Chie looked back at Yosuke, her eyes stern.

"...Fine," she concluded, setting the two bags aside. "Although, if you do do anything, let it be known that you'll owe me five whole filet mignons!"

"Deal," an exasperated Yosuke grinned.

The pair continued to help each other unpack, occasionally cracking jokes and shoving each other around in the process.

Outside their door, Yukiko resisted the strong urge to giggle. She quickly ran towards the kitchen, and broke into a huge laughing fit by the sink.

"They're so funny together, ahahaha," she managed to mutter, still laughing. "It was like they were in their own little world!"

Yu nodded, smiling. To be honest, he wanted to see Chie and Yosuke get together, as well. However, he didn't particularly notice any non-platonic feelings between the two of them.

"Shouldn't rush them, though," instructed Yu, helping Yukiko get up. He was surely one to speak, as he hadn't developed a crush on anyone during his whole time in Inaba. Sure, there were a ton of cute girls, but Yu wasn't particularly interested in any of them.

"Haha, guess so," agreed Yukiko, who was slowly calming down from her laughing fit. The two stood there in silence for a bit, continuing to hold hands. Suddenly, Yukiko noticed their contact and quickly let go, her cheeks turning a light pink. Yu witnessed this, and looked shocked.

"You've never held hands with a person before?" the boy asked.

"Oh, n-no, it's just that..." Yukiko fidgeted. "That was a little unexpected."

"Sorry," Yu apologized.

"Don't be," the black-haired girl smiled gently. The pink promptly disappeared from her cheeks, and the pair continued on with their idle conversation.

* * *

A panicked Kanji rushed out of his room door, scaring Yu and Yukiko. His face was stained with blood.

"I need a tissue, dammit!" he yelled. The tall boy took the tissue box from the kitchen counter and shoved a handful of absorbent papers onto his nose.

"Are you alright, Kanji?" Naoto peeked her head out of their room, worried. Kanji waved at her, signaling that all was well. His face was flushed as he did so.

"Something happen between you two?" Yu asked. His comment made Kanji redden. Yukiko laughed teasingly.

"I-It's none of your business," insisted Kanji, who then ran off to the bathroom.

"His shoulder probably brushed against Naoto's arm," Yukiko whispered to Yu, "or something like that."

The silver-haired boy nodded in agreement. Such little things made the rowdy Kanji Tatsumi react so heavily. It was always a funny sight.

* * *

**Evening**

The former Investigation Team spent the rest of the afternoon settling into their new abodes. In a flash, dusk washed over the large city of Onayama.

Everyone lined up for the bathroom in an attempt to prepare for bed. At the moment, Yosuke's angry voice could be heard from the room.

"No, Teddie! Don't mess with Naoto's stuff! We're going to be killed!"

"Eh, but it's so cool, Yosuke! What's this squishy thing, anyway?"

"...Oh my god. Put that down."

"Wha, but—"

A series of clatters and incomprehensible screaming followed. Eventually, a tired Yosuke and disheveled Teddie left the premises, sighing, and both exited into their proper rooms.

The already prepared Yu and Rise sat there in silence, holding their hot mugs of tea.

"Those two are really fun, huh?" Rise laughed, sipping her drink. "Anyway, Senpai, this tea's really good."

"Yeah," Yu nodded. "So, how's rooming with Teddie like?"

"I set up a bunch of dividers and made it clear that he's dead if he comes to my side of the room without permission," Rise declared. She had a murderous tone in her voice. She set down her tea. "...Although, I still want to room with you."

"How come?" Yu asked.

"Yukiko-senpai gets to spend a lot of time with you. Way more than me," Rise began. "I was excited to go around and have fun alone with my Senpai, too."

"Well, we're alone now, aren't we?"

The idol blushed.

"Yeah..."

"And how about we go explore the city tomorrow?" Yu added.

"Just you and me?" Rise asked. The silver-haired boy nodded, earning a squeal from Rise.

"I can't wai—"

Abruptly, the whole group heard a panicked knocking on their room door. Yu ran to open it. As the door swung open, he came face to face with none other than Kou.

His indigo hair wet with sweat, Kou looked up at him, eyes filled with alarm.

"I-It's Daisuke... He's..."

In that moment, it was clear that their University days weren't going to be so carefree after all.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S COMMENTS**

Oh boy, a cliffhanger! To add to the anticipation, Chapter 5 and onwards need to be written, so the wait will be a little longer... I can guarantee you that this project is active and ongoing, though!

Also, thanks for all your great reviews! The answers to your questions will be revealed in later chapters, I promise!

(EDIT: Added some YuxRise in this chapter. Sorry for keeping the Yu pairings so imbalanced. I like both pairings equally, but I didn't realize...)

- Minhie


	5. Chapter 5: Alarm

Yu bust open the room door and ran inside, his friends following behind. His heart was beating fast. His mind was in a panic.

The room was cold and devoid of colour. Kou's other roommates stood by the windows, stricken with worry. A large group of people gathered around Daisuke. Among them were the headmaster and many doctors.

"What," Yu panted, "happened?"

"Daisuke's exhausted from today. He headed home and practically crashed," Kou explained. "We were going to wake him up again so we could go eat out, but..." He turned towards his friend with a pained look on his face.

The doctors worked tirelessly. They ran tests, they scribbled down notes. All that Kou, Yu, and the others could do was watch.

Hours passed.

* * *

**Late Night**

"This boy is in an unknown state," one doctor declared. "His heart rate is normal and his body heat is still present, but he's not breathing nor is he moving."

"That's beyond strange," Rise gasped.

"It's late, so we must take our leave. We have hooked up this device to him to constantly watch his body's actions," another doctor added. "It could give us more insight on his condition."

The middle-aged man and woman left, as the headmaster bowed profoundly to thank them for their aid. He turned towards Yu.

"You may visit Mr. Nagase for a bit, but do not even attempt to touch the device." The headmaster gave the young adolescents a stern look.

"We understand. Thank you, sir." Naoto bowed towards the old man. Giving the group a nod, the headmaster took his leave.

Yu walked up to Daisuke's bedside. He stared at the lifeless, unmoving body. Suddenly, he remembered Igor's prediction.

_"It seems that you will face yet another grand mystery, of which you will need determination and willpower to solve."_

_"Could this be the mystery that Igor was talking about?"_ Yu thought to himself. He quickly turned towards the machine attached to Daisuke, and upon seeing it, his eyes widened.

It looked just like a TV.

In a matter of seconds, Yu found himself reaching for it. His friends, who were busy worrying themselves, noticed.

"Senpai, what the hell are you doing?" Kanji cried. "The old guy told us not to—"

_Fssh._

Yu's hand sunk into the screen, like before.

"Oh my god," gasped Rise.

"Guys, grab onto me," Yu instructed.

"Huh? But..." Yukiko began.

"Grab on!"

As his friends took hold of him, the silver-haired boy looked at Kou and his teammates.

"Make sure no one else comes in," Yu told them. "And don't tell anyone about this."

Although clearly alarmed, Kou nodded. With that, the former Investigation Team disappeared.

* * *

"Welcome back," a mature, feminine voice greeted Yu.

"Took you long enough," added another voice.

Yu opened his eyes to see that he was, once again, in the Velvet Room. As always, Igor and Margaret were there, but there was someone else, too; Marie. The girl smiled, her glasses reflecting the room's blue light. She dressed very formally in a white dress shirt, black blazer, and matching black pencil skirt.

"I haven't seen you in a while," Marie laughed. She seemed more cheery than before. "How've you been?"

"I'm trying to solve another mystery," Yu informed. "But I bet you knew that already."

"You're right on the ball," Marie nodded. "Although, this time, it's got nothing to do with the fog. I have no idea what this mystery's about."

"That's unsettling," sighed Yu.

"I'll try to help you as much as I can, though," assured Marie. "As the famous forecaster Mariko Kusumi, I can accurately tell you about this week's fusion forecast." Yu had forgotten Marie's identity in the normal world. She was Mariko Kusumi, Japan's popular new weather forecaster.

"Thanks," the boy told her. He then turned towards Igor, who was quietly sitting in his seat the entire time.

"My predictions were correct, no?" Igor looked up at Yu, smiling. The young man nodded.

"Our services are now available to you," Margaret declared. "However, they differ from the aid we gave you before. You are only able to fuse Personae now; skill cards are non-existent."

"For now, we are still driving endlessly through this maze, without any specific destination," Igor stated. "I wonder where your destiny will lead us next? Until then, farewe—"

"Wait!" Yu objected. "I've got a question to ask. Where exactly does that machine lead?"

"Not even I know that," Igor smiled. "You'll just have find out yourself. That's the fun of it all, yes?"

As Igor bid his goodbyes, the room faded to black.

* * *

Yu could hear his name being called over and over. He slowly opened his eyes to the sight of Yosuke trying to shake him awake.

"Good, you're alive," his best friend sighed in relief. He got up.

"Yeah..." Yu mumbled, getting up himself. He looked around.

It seemed like they were inside a school gymnasium. However, it wasn't open at all. Gymnastics mats closed the group in, forcing them to follow one sole path. In other words, it was an indoor labyrinth.

"This isn't like the TV world at all," Teddie whimpered.

"Where are we?" Rise asked.

_"This is the inside of one's mind."_ A mysterious, deep voice echoed through the gymnasium. No one recognized it. _"All that is here before you is a physical manifestation of it."_

"Huh?" Yukiko mumbled.

"The inside of one's mind..." Naoto repeated. "So does that mean that this place is all of Daisuke's thoughts?"

_"You are correct,"_ the voice chuckled.

"Never mind that. Who are you, and why do you know this?" Naoto questioned.

_"Hoho, I'm a just a knowledgeable person, is all."_

"That reason's bullshit," Kanji yelled. "Show us your face!"

_"How rude and assertive you are, child. If you want to discover my identity so badly,"_ the voice began, _"try to catch me!"_ With that, a tremendous gust of wind blew towards the group. No matter what efforts they made to stay standing, all of them eventually fell to the ground.

Yu recovered first. However, as he stood up, the boy realized that there was something in his hand; a tarot card. On instinct, he flipped it around, revealing the World arcana. Yu's hand subconsciously crushed it, and from him emerged Izanagi-no-Okami.

Still on the ground, Yu's friends stared at him in shock.

"T-That's his Persona, isn't it?" Chie stuttered. "How could he have..."

"Guys, look!" Yosuke cried. They all looked up, only to find several other cards descending towards them. The group stood up, giving each other knowing looks.

"Persona!" They cried in unison. From the cards emerged all of their other selves.

Susano-o, Suzuka Gongen, Amaterasu, Rokuten Maoh, Yamato-Takeru, Kamui, and Kanzeon. Along with Izanagi-no-Okami, they all floated above their respective selves.

"Huh, that's weird..." Rise stated as she stared at everyone's Personas. "They look different from before."

"What do you mean?" Yukiko asked.

"By the time Senpai left, everyone had way stronger personas," the idol frowned. "What happened?"

"I noticed that too back with that whole Labrys thing," Yosuke added. "Our Personas had changed back to their basic forms. It was really weird."

"Well, our Personas represent our strength of heart, right?" Teddie chimed in. "Even if our bonds are unbreakable, we change."

"Meaning that it's possible that our strengths of heart can also change," Yu nodded. "We begin to doubt ourselves, and then our future looks less clear. Even if we get rid of the fog, it doesn't mean that worries and lies just stop existing entirely."

"And as our strength of heart weakens, so do our Personas," Naoto concluded.

"I guess we got stronger over the years," Kanji began, "but we still aren't as strong as we were back then."

"But that doesn't mean we can't ever get stronger again," Yukiko assured.

"Right," Chie agreed. "And to start, let's save Daisuke together!"

* * *

The group steadily walked through the maze. It was quiet, and only the occasional squeaking of their shoe soles against the floor could be heard.

"We haven't run into a single shadow yet," Yosuke whined.

"That's a good thing, Senpai," Naoto told him.

"Kinda makes this whole exploration boring, though..." sighed Yosuke. "Admit it. You want to whoop some ass after finally re-awakening your Persona, right?"

"Well, I admit that I do. Although, do you really have to phrase it tha—"

"Yo, I found something," Kanji interrupted Naoto as he pointed towards a randomly placed door within the maze. Yu walked towards it, and cautiously opened it. The rest of his friends followed the boy as he entered the room.

Absolutely nothing could be seen inside. The room seemed like an endless void. Suddenly, something appeared before the group. It looked like a projected image, from a theatrical movie.

"Pass, pass!" A small boy, about the age of seven, ran across the green field, frantically waving his hands. He had tan skin and short brown hair. There were also two band-aids on his face; one on his nose and one on his cheek.

"Is that a younger Daisuke?" Chie asked.

"Looks like it," Yu answered.

The small boy clumsily caught the ball with his feet and dribbled it towards the goal. He maneuvered it through the field, avoiding the other children. With one swift kick, the little Daisuke had scored a goal all by himself.

"Wow, that was awesome, Dai-kun!" One of the girls ran up to Daisuke, cheering. He thanked her politely. Some other children crowded around the boy, congratulating him. He bowed towards each of them before walking off.

As he made his way out of the park, Daisuke wiped the sweat off of his face with his arm.

_"I loved challenging myself."_ The group could hear Daisuke's voice echo across room. _"The results were always so satisfying. I could strive to improve, to do, and to learn. Whatever it was, as long as it challenged me, I'd have fun."_

Suddenly, the image of the eight-year-old Daisuke transitioned into an older one. He looked like he was about nine.

"I'm Daisuke Nagase," the athletic boy greeted. He only had a bandage on his cheek. "Nice to meet ya!"

"I'm Kou Ichijo. Pleasure to make your acquaintance as well, Nagase-san," replied the boy across from Daisuke. He was clutching a stack of books in his hands.

"No need for all the formality, man!" Daisuke slapped Kou on the back. "We're teammates now! And that means we're automatic friends."

"I-Is that really how it works?" The younger Kou winced and rubbed his back. Daisuke merrily nodded. "Um, then, nice to meet you... Daisuke."

"Boy, was Kou shy back then," Chie remarked. "He acts like a socially challenged prince here."

"You can't blame him," defended Yu. He knew that the prestigious Ichijo family adopted Kou when he was young, and they had high expectations of him back then. They must have raised him that way.

Kou and Daisuke's friendship flashed before the group's eyes. They saw how the two of them first bonded by their participation with their Elementary's Sports Day. When they reached the age of 12, the two continued to become closer through their teamwork on the school track team. After their first year of junior high, the two began to branch out to their respective sports; basketball and soccer. However, a friendly rivalry continued to exist between Daisuke and Kou. Yu joined in on the flashbacks, too. Everyone saw how he helped Kou and became closer to the two athletes.

_"The one thing, or person, that I liked being challenged by the most was Kou."_ Daisuke's voice rung out across the room again. _"We were like paper and glue. Always trying to be the better person, but at the same time being the closest of friends. But then..."_

Suddenly, the room shook. The images of Daisuke's past life disappeared, along with Daisuke's voice. Shadows began to emerge from the floor, the ceiling, and the walls. Within seconds, Shadows surrounded the Investigation Team.

"Stay calm," ordered Yu, who then proceeded to summon his Persona. The rest of the group followed suit. They gathered around Rise, defending her as she analyzed the enemy.

"They're all weak to Physical and Zio," Rise announced. "However, they have good support moves, and some powerful attacks. Stay on your toes!"

Both Kanji and Chie started off with a Power Charge. Yosuke buffed the team with a Masukukaja. Teddie, Yukiko, and Yu focused on attacking. The Shadows were soon showered with an array of attacks. Kanji landed a critical hit on one enemy using Primal Force. Yu knocked down the remaining ones with Maziodyne, and the gang finished it off with an All-Out Attack. However, that still wasn't enough.

"Got it covered," grinned Chie. She turned to Yukiko, who nodded at her. They positioned themselves back to back.

"Twin dragons!" With one swift move, they both summoned their Personas. A giant cherry blossom bloomed underneath their targets. At the same time, two golden dragons soared around them. A radiant light enveloped the Shadows, which destroyed them all.

"Nice work, Senpais!" Rise praised as the Shadows dissolved into thin air.

"Guess that's all of them," Yu observed. "Let's move on."

Just as the Investigation Team was about to exit, another scene appeared before them.

"Hey, how about you and me sneak off together?" a black-haired girl, about the age of 17, asked.

"What? No way. You're Daisuke's girlfriend, Akemi-san!" Kou objected. "Also, I—"

"Oh, come on. No one will know. Plus, you're way hotter than Dai-kun," Akemi interrupted, she stepped closer to the alarmed Kou.

_"I had left to go get something for Akemi. A gift for our six-month anniversary,"_ Daisuke explained. _"Although when I was just about to go back inside, I heard her and Kou's conversation. I don't know if Kou ever went with it or not, he probably didn't, but all I could feel back then was anger. I just couldn't believe it. I broke up with her a day later without reason, and after that, I avoided Kou."_

The scene switched. Kou and Daisuke were now physically fighting and angrily yelling at each other.

_"After talking to each other, and a few bruises, we made up. Although, I don't feel as close to him anymore. I'm far from that..."_ The scene, and Daisuke's voice, faded away. Suddenly, a huge montage showed Daisuke's coldness and sadness towards the ordeal and aftermath. Each scene flashed before their eyes and disappeared within seconds. As it all vanished into oblivion, the door opened.

The Investigation Team remained absolutely silent.

"We have to save him," Yosuke began," no matter what."

"And we don't know how much time we have left," Naoto added.

"Let's hurry on, then," Yu instructed. However, he said it in a low, quiet tone. The boy didn't expect that at all.

_"If I was there, would it have turned out differently?"_ He thought, feeling a wave of guilt wash over him.

_"No, it wouldn't. If you were there, he'd treat you coldly, too, and it'd end up all the same. No amount of reasoning would get Daisuke out of his shock." _Yu heard Marie's voice ring out through his head. Although, he knew it wasn't his imagination. Marie was actually talking to him, somehow, through his brain.

_"How are you talking to me?"_ Yu mentally replied.

_"Well, you know who I am, right?"_ Marie laughed. _"If Izanami could do this, then so can I. I just had to figure it out. And if you're also going to ask this, which I'm sure you are, Igor told me what Daisuke's fate would be if you were there."_

_"...Thanks. You cheered me up a bit."_

_"You can't change what's in the past. All you have is the present, and the future will follow through with it. Remember that!"_

"Sensei, why're you slowing down? Come on!" Teddie cheered. Yu broke out of his trance and looked at his eccentric friend. With a smile, he nodded.

As they continued to walk, Yu felt a tap on his shoulder.

"About our date tomorrow..." Rise whispered to him. "You're still up for it, right? I mean, with this—"

Naoto's screaming interrupted the idol. Everyone turned in time to see her drop down what seemed like a gigantic hole. They ran towards it.

"Naoto!" Kanji peered his face over the ledge, looking down into the darkness. "You alright?"

"I-I'm fine. I landed rather safely," Naoto replied. Her voice was faint.

"Okay then, we'll come down!" Teddie jumped into the hole without hesitation. "Look out below!"

The group heard Naoto step to the side as Teddie hit the floor below.

"Argh, you lied, Nao-chan! The floor is as hard as a metal shelf in Junes!" Teddie cried.

"You dove in head first from up there!" Naoto insisted. She paused for a moment. "...Wait, Teddie, what's that by your foot?"

"H-H-Huh?" As Teddie shifted from his place, an eerie noise became audible. It sounded like someone crying.

"Oh my goodness," Naoto remarked.

"What? What's going on?" Rise almost flung herself over the ledge. Fortunately, Yu caught her.

"Careful," he advised. Rise thanked him sheepishly.

"I think the only way to found out is to come closer," Naoto confessed. "Proceed with caution."

Slowly, the rest of the Investigation Team made their way into the hole. Yu helped Rise down as the others slowly plummeted on their own.

* * *

There was a very dim, red light shining in the pit. A light wind also consistently blew through the air.

"Where's that thing, Teddie?" Yu asked as he turned towards the blonde boy.

"It disappeared as soon as Nao-chan came close to it," Teddie replied.

"Well, whatever it is, let's find it soon. This place is giving me the creeps!" A panicked Yosuke tried to keep warm by rubbing his arms. He looked around in all directions.

_"Akemi, where are you?"_

A shaky, faint voice echoed through the darkness. It sounded like Daisuke.

"What's up with this place and all these voices?" Chie asked. She took a step backward, alarmed.

"I'm not sure, but whatever the reason is, it's most likely related to a Shadow. Daisuke's Shadow," Naoto replied. "The problem is, where is it?"

_"I'm sorry, Akemi... Come back to me, please..."_

"There must be something we can do to lure it out," Yukiko stated. "Maybe we could provoke it with words?"

"Lemme give it a try." Kanji clenched his fists, and prepared himself in an iron stance. "Hey, you damn punk! Come out now, or I'll rip you to pieces!"

"That's not what she meant, Moronji!" Rise yelled. She sighed, then looked up. "Listen, Daisuke-senpai, Akemi wasn't for you. She was a liar, a fake. She left you, and you left her. Can't you accept that?"

_"You make it sound so easy, you idiot! You're wrong! You don't get it at all!"_

The ground shook, and the ceiling began to fall apart. Suddenly, the Investigation Team found themselves plummeting down into the unknown.

"Wh-What the hell?" Yosuke yelled. He tried to get closer to the rest of his friends. A figure abruptly latched on to him, which he could only recognize as Chie.  
"No, I've got so much more left to do! This can't be the end!" Teddie cried. He fell to the ground and ended up clinging to Yosuke as well.

"Guys, brace yourselves!" From the other side, Yu called out to everyone.

Yosuke placed his right hand on Chie and his left on Teddie. He held them tight. Yu covered Yukiko, shielding her from the crumbling rocks. Kanji, Rise, and Naoto all gathered together as they tried to protect themselves.

As they dropped into the depths below, they all let out a piercing scream.

_Thud._

* * *

**AUTHOR'S COMMENTS**

Sorry for the long wait! I got writer's block several times while writing this chapter, and school doesn't help with its progress much, either... I hope I got Daisuke's character right. I started New Game+ and am starting his Social Link as I type this!

- Minhie


	6. Chapter 6: Motion

The platform trembled as it hit the floor. Dust swarmed around the Investigation Team, making them each sputter and cough.

"Are you hurt?" Yu asked Yukiko, who was throwing a loud coughing fit.

"I'm," Yukiko spoke in between her wheezing, "fine... Thank you for your... concern..." Suddenly, her eyes widened. "Chie!" Yukiko shrieked as she quickly turned around. Yu followed her gaze.

On the other side of the wreckage, Yosuke lied on the floor as a fear-stricken Chie clung to him. The boy launched a few coughs of his own before trying to get up. However, he felt a weight pull him down. Yosuke looked down to find Chie, who was covering her mouth with his shirt and had practically attached herself to him.

It made his cheeks turn the faintest pink.

"We're alive, Chie. Don't worry." Yosuke placed a comforting hand on the girl's back.

"H-Huh?" Chie stuttered, opening her eyes. She slowly got up, looked around, and checked herself for any injuries. "Oh, thank God! You're right!" She flashed him a relieved smile, in which he replied with a grin of his own. Although, Yosuke felt slightly embarrassed that Chie barely reacted to him hugging her back. He quickly sneaked his hand away without the tomboy noticing.

Suddenly, Chie heard her name being called. She turned to see Yukiko rushing towards her.

"I'm so glad you're alright!" Yukiko cried as she embraced her best friend.

"Me too," Chie said, hugging Yukiko back.

"I'm glad we're _all_ okay," Yu added, stepping beside Yosuke.

"Yeah, but we don't know about Kanji, Rise, Ted or Naoto," Yosuke replied, patting his partner on the back. He looked around. "Actually, where _are_ they?"

Upon further inspection, the group noticed that the platform had been broken in half. The missing side, of which the others were on, had completely disappeared. Instead, the four of them were surrounded by nothing but an eerie red light.

Abruptly, they heard some sort of murmuring from below.

_"I'm so dumb for taking my anger out on everyone. I never let them tell their side of the story. I just locked myself in my own world, with my own shitty thoughts... Now look at me! I'm practically all alone. I'm pathetic!"_

It was Daisuke's voice again.

The ground shook once more, and a gigantic hand reached out from the depths below. It latched onto the platform.

_"If only I could turn back time... No one will forgive me now! I'll be alone for the rest of my life, all because of my own stupid self!"_

The hand hurled Yukiko, Yu, Chie, and Yosuke through the air, making them scream. Yu clenched his teeth.

_"Damn, we can't die now!"_ he thought.

Without warning, their soaring came to a sudden halt when they hit the solid surface of... something.

The dizzy adolescents looked up to see a humongous, grotesque figure. It had overly-proportioned arms and legs, skin with a crimson red glow, and bulging veins. Occasionally, a yellow spark would course through the blood vessels. The beast also seemed to have a cleat-like texture to the bottom of its feet, and a soccer ball design imprinted in its skin.

"I am a Metus, all you wish to escape from!" The figure screamed.

"T-That's not a Shadow at all," Yukiko remarked, her eyes widened.

"Whatever it is, the only solution is to get rid of it, right?" Chie unleashed Suzuka Gongen, an excited grin on her face.

"You're right," Yosuke began as he summoned Susano-o, "but we don't have Rise or Ted to help us out..."

"Then we'll just have to beat it up with what we have, and see what happens!" replied Chie. She looked expectantly towards Yu, who nodded and summoned Izanami-no-Okami. Yukiko followed suit by bringing out Amaterasu.

One at a time, they aimed a Garudyne, Ziodyne, Agidyne, and Agneyastra upon the monster. It unleashed a deafening cry.

"Seems like it was affected by all of them," Yukiko stated. "But the problem is... We don't know if it resisted some or not."

"Let's just keep attacking it for now," Yu suggested. "Our attacks worked, at least." The others nodded and prepared to pummel the enemy with another move.

However, it had already started aiming for them. The monster lifted its monstrous arms, and with a mighty swing crushed Chie. As Daisuke's Metus lifted its fist, Chie was sprawled out on the ground, trying to soothe the pain resonating in her abdomen. She had scrapes and bruises all over her skin.

"Hang on, Chie!" cried Yukiko. She summoned Amaterasu and cast a Diarahan on the girl. Within seconds, her injuries faded away, as did her excruciating pain.

"God, I really needed that. Thanks a million, Yukiko." Chie smiled and slowly lifted herself up. Once she regained her stance, she glared at the Metus. "Take this!" She shot a Bufudyne at the monster, making it fall to the ground.

"Nice work!" cheered Yosuke.

"Okay, let's go in for an All-Out Attack!" ordered Yu.

At once, everyone crowded around the Metus and began to beat it down.

"It can't be done yet. Don't let your guard down," warned Yu when they dispersed.

As predicted, Daisuke's Metus went berserk after the attack. It slashed, whipped, and stomped its way through Yu and his friends. Yukiko and Yu lashed out plenty of Diarahans and Recarms to keep the party going.

Finally, they unleashed one more attack with all of the force that their fatigued selves could muster. Rays of light flashed, wind rushed, fire bursted from all directions, and the ground shook. The Metus staggered, gasping for air.

"It's almost done! Keep going!" Yukiko cheered. Though as soon as those words escaped her lips, the creature began to speak again.

_"Will I.. Ever be able to become close to anyone again? I feel I'm trapped in some sort of world where only I exist. And no one can come in, or out..."_

The Metus repositioned itself, and it began to glow a fiery red, with streaks of yellow flashing all over it. Its hands were set alight in a flurry of lightning bolts. Electrical currents began to surround his feet erupt all over his body. Afterwards, the beast bent its knees, preparing to leap at the group.

"Brace yourselves!" Yu screamed. He and his friends all cowered behind their weapons, preparing for impact.

Their shoulders tensed as the Metus began to plummet towards them. Yu counted down to the attack.

_3... 2... 1..._

* * *

An ear-piercing screech came instead. Not a landing so large that Yu had to struggle to stay afoot.

The four of them slowly looked up to see Daisuke's Metus impaled with a cluster of icicles. Behind it stood four separate figures, of which were none other than Rise, Kanji, Naoto, and Teddie.

"Sensei, Yuki-chan, Chie-chan, Yosuke!" Teddie cried.

"Thank God, we caught you just in time!" Rise let out a sigh of relief. Above her stood Kanzeon, who soon faded away.

"W-Where the hell were you guys and how did you get here?" asked an astonished Yosuke.

"Actually, we were lost at first," Naoto began, "but then we saw that huge mass of lightning, wind, fire, and rocks being thrown about. It was obvious that they came from you guys."

"Not to mention that damn monster was louder than my own snoring," Kanji added.

"How do you know what you sound like when you're asleep?" Yukiko asked.

"Oh, well, my mom recor—"

"Okay. Let's focus on the task at hand," Yosuke interrupted, sounding a bit exasperated. "What are we supposed to do with this... thing?" He looked down at their defeated enemy, who was now lying lifeless on the ground.

"Let's comfort it first like we did to our Shadows," Rise suggested, kneeling down next to the Metus. "Hey, Daisuke-senpai, how're you feeling?"

"I-It's cold... Now I'm really alone, aren't I..." the creature mumbled, its fingers twitching.

"Hey, that's not true!" objected Chie. "You're only alone because you're too stubborn to think of anything else. Look around you!"

"Yeah, Ichijo-kun still stuck with you after your fight. He's always been there, really. In fact, he's probably losing his head over your current condition," Yukiko said. "So..."

"You just have to change your way of thinking," Yu concluded. "The world's never as bad as you think it is." He leaned down towards the Metus, who was slowly losing it's form and morphing into Daisuke. Yu reached out his hand, that "Daisuke" grabbed, all the while giving him a grateful smile.

"Thank you," the Metus whispered, before completely disappearing into thin air. In its place was a bright, shining orb.

"Ooh, what's that?" Teddie stared at the luminous object curiously.

"It's a Jubilant Orb," explained a voice from above. It had the same eerie tone as the one that beckoned the team when they first entered. "Keep it. It will serve you well in the future."

"It's that guy again..." Kanji remarked. "You sure we should trust it, Senpai?"

"It was right when it told us what this place was," Yu observed. "I think we should be alright."

"You're a wise one, boy," chuckled the voice. "Well, I'll be taking my leave... The exit should appear soon..." The unknown entity let out another creepy laugh, before a gentle gust of wind blew and it faded away.

Yu turned towards the shining orb and reached out to it. It drew itself towards him, and upon making contact with the boy's hand, disappeared in a wave of light. The sky then erupted in an array of colors, and Yu began floating up towards it.

"Grab on!" the silver-haired boy ordered, and his friends did as told. They ascended and were engulfed by the light, feeling its warmth as the world beneath them disappeared.

* * *

**Late Night**

The group found themselves tumbling out of the monitor and back in Kou's room.

"Man, that exit was like something straight out of a magical girl show," Kanji remarked as he rubbed the back of his neck. Yukiko giggled at the boy's remark.

"Geez, you're never going to stop being like that, are you?" laughed Chie, looking at her best friend. "Anyway, where's Kou?" The tomboy looked around to find Kou sprawled out on a couch. He had a troubled expression on his face. Chie ran towards him, and lightly shook his shoulder.

"Huh?" Kou mumbled. He stared at Chie with half-opened eyes. "Are you... A princess? Or maybe a horse..."

"It's me, Chie," the tomboy corrected. She frowned. "You must be really tired to think that I'm a horse..."

"Or maybe you actually look like one," Yosuke teased. Chie glared at him, baring her teeth. "I-I'm joking! I'm joking! Geez!"

Kou took a minute or two to fully come to his senses. When he did, his eyes widened and he leapt out of his chair.

"What, Chie! Y-You're back? What's happening?" The indigo-haired boy's face turned bright red as he spewed out one question after the next.

"We got back from our little adventure in that monitor," Rise explained. "And I think we've found a way to cure Nagase-senpai."

"Are you serious?" Kou asked, his eyes widening. Rise nodded, and the boy sighed in relief. It seemed like a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders. "Man, you guys are like miracle workers... I can't thank you enough."

"It's strange, though, despite having his Metus defeated, Nagase-san is still in deep sleep," observed Naoto.

"Do we have to do something else?" Teddie asked.

Yu ran Daisuke in a panic. Suddenly, the Jubilant Orb began to glow, as if it was reacting to Daisuke's presence.

"I've got an idea," Yu claimed as he put the orb onto Daisuke's open hand.

As the silver-haired boy presumed, the light engulfed the athlete. As the rest of Yu's friends stood and stared in astonishment, the light faded away and revealed an awoken Daisuke who was sitting upright, and also strangely crying.

"Daisuke!" Kou cried, running up to his best friend and wrapping him in a tight hug. "Dude, what's up with you? You know how stressed out you made me?"

"Kou..." Daisuke mumbled. There was a long pause as tears continued to stream down the athlete's face. "Listen, I'm sorry."

"For what?" the indigo-haired boy asked. He paused, recalling the one incident that scarred Daisuke all too much. "Oh, that? Forget about it, man."

Daisuke's eyes widened in shock. It was clear that that wasn't the reply he was expecting.

There was a long silence as Daisuke took in everything that had happened.

"Thanks," he finally whispered. Absolute relief and gratitude filling Daisuke's eyes. The tears were really flowing now. He looked up at his other friends, who were each smiling at him. "I'm glad I've gotten to know you guys."

"I'm glad you're back," Yu replied, hugging Daisuke and Kou. The rest of the Investigation Team also gathered around the athlete, enclosing him in a warm embrace.

"Yeah," laughed Daisuke.

* * *

_Friday, April 11th, 2014_

**Morning**

Two weeks had peacefully passed by after Daisuke's rescue. Each member of the Investigation Team was busy starting off their University studies. All the while, today Rise and Yu decided to take a break from it all.

"Sorry we had to cancel our date before." Yu gave the idol an apologetic look.

"Don't worry about it, Senpai," assured Rise. "Did you see how tired everyone was after that night? When we got home, Chie and Yosuke practically crashed on top of each other! And that's _really_ unnatural."

"Let's not forget you and Teddie," the silver-haired boy laughed.

"Oh geez, that bear wouldn't get off of me when I woke up," Rise sighed. "I can't believe you managed to successfully make your way to your bed."

"If I slept on the floor with all of you, who knows what would have happened," replied Yu. He glanced around the downtown area, scoping out the many shops and restaurants. "Hey, that cafe looks nice. Wanna go there?"

Rise giggled and gave the boy an affirmative nod. Quickly, she grabbed his hand and ran off towards the building. Yu smiled as he trailed behind the auburn-haired girl. Now that Daisuke was back to normal, his life was back to normal, too.

At the very least, that's what Yu had believed.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**I am so, so, so sorry for the unannounced hiatus that I took from ! I'll be back to writing here now, meaning that I'll start updating BITT again, too.**

**And I'm not sure if I've mentioned this already, but I'll start going by my real name, Annie, from now on, too. **

**- Annie**


End file.
